Let's talk theft of images...

MLeeK · Aug 23, 2012

Anyone seen Gary Fong's latest theft discovery?
http://stopstealingphotos.tumblr.com/post/29831962568/24-7-protography-benjamin-ramalho-photography
If You’ve Had Images Stolen Off The Internet, You Can Get Up To $150,000 Per Image Stolen |

It's not a quick short read, but definitely interesting! So, take your coffee.
The guy is an arrogant ass first and foremost. Stupid as a post at best and his friends? WOW. Balls of titanium. He's looking at MILLIONS in lawsuits. 37 Photographers and multiple images from most of them.

KmH · Aug 23, 2012

So you're helping him advertise his book?

Do you have a question?

Do you figure he gets a kickback from his attorney to drum up work?

mjhoward · Aug 23, 2012

KmH said:
So you're helping him advertise his book?

Do you have a question?

Do you figure he gets a kickback from his attorney to drum up work?

Wow.

Tee · Aug 23, 2012

That's some good detective work.

MLeeK · Aug 23, 2012

The guy has time on his hands, that's for sure. He has gone on a crusade to find stolen images and offenders. Obviously retirement is a little to quiet. On the flip side of that I guess that having someone to police the internet for photographers is nice for us.
I wasn't talking about gary, his book or any of his other products, but about the guy in this particular incident and his balls of huge proportions, Keith. Did you happen to read any of the tumblr post?

sm4him · Aug 23, 2012

MLeeK said:
The guy has time on his hands, that's for sure. He has gone on a crusade to find stolen images and offenders. Obviously retirement is a little to quiet. On the flip side of that I guess that having someone to police the internet for photographers is nice for us.
I wasn't talking about gary, his book or any of his other products, but about the guy in this particular incident and his balls of huge proportions, Keith. Did you happen to read any of the tumblr post?

Ah. Makes more sense now. I admit, I was a little confused as well about to whom you were referring, because of this:
"Stupid as a post at best..."
I read that as "Stupid, as a post, at best..." meaning you were saying that you thought the whole blog post was stupid.
But that didn't really jibe with what I know to be your attitude about copyright infringement, and it didn't really make sense with the rest of what you said. So, I suspected you were referring to the guy who stole the photos, but until I just went back and read it again, I didn't get the "That guy is just as stupid as a post"...which kinda makes me feel...stupid as a post.

MLeeK · Aug 23, 2012

sm4him said:
MLeeK said:

The guy has time on his hands, that's for sure. He has gone on a crusade to find stolen images and offenders. Obviously retirement is a little to quiet. On the flip side of that I guess that having someone to police the internet for photographers is nice for us.
I wasn't talking about gary, his book or any of his other products, but about the guy in this particular incident and his balls of huge proportions, Keith. Did you happen to read any of the tumblr post?

Click to expand...

Ah. Makes more sense now. I admit, I was a little confused as well about to whom you were referring, because of this:
"Stupid as a post at best..."
I read that as "Stupid, as a post, at best..." meaning you were saying that you thought the whole blog post was stupid.
But that didn't really jibe with what I know to be your attitude about copyright infringement, and it didn't really make sense with the rest of what you said. So, I suspected you were referring to the guy who stole the photos, but until I just went back and read it again, I didn't get the "That guy is just as stupid as a post"...which kinda makes me feel...stupid as a post.

Made me chuckle! Yeah... I am never any good in the mornings until my meds kick in. Sometimes I have to laugh at what I THOUGHT I said clearly... total gibberish.

SO anyway... Yeah that Benjamin Ramalho and friends had some incredible nerve. He's trying now to salvage, but that's not going so well for him either. Some of the ones I see get called out I feel for the people-they make a mistake, apologize and do whatever they can to make amends-then get attacked more. It just shocks me that Fong manages to find quite a few who are pretty ballsy. He's found a few that keep coming back again and again to do the same thing over and over.

sm4him · Aug 23, 2012

I don't feel sorry for ANY of them if they are representing what they've taken as their own work. The ones who simply didn't understand copyright and posted an image that wasn't theirs, but did NOT represent it as theirs, that's another story, but it's just so NOT cool to take anyone else's image and try to pass it off as yours.

amolitor · Aug 23, 2012

Does it amuse anyone else that the Stop Stealing Photos tumblr reproduces stolen photos?

Yes, yes, fair use, something something. Whatever, I don't know if it's illegal or not, it's just funny.

tirediron · Aug 23, 2012

amolitor said:
Does it amuse anyone else that the Stop Stealing Photos tumblr reproduces stolen photos?

Yes, yes, fair use, something something. Whatever, I don't know if it's illegal or not, it's just funny.

Ironic

IByte · Aug 23, 2012

amolitor said:
Does it amuse anyone else that the Stop Stealing Photos tumblr reproduces stolen photos?

Yes, yes, fair use, something something. Whatever, I don't know if it's illegal or not, it's just funny.

Yeah but at least he is giving the REAL photographers' credit instead of outright stealing them =8)

CCericola · Aug 23, 2012

It all started when a guy on the PPA group found his wedding picks on this guy's site. He was asking us what to do. He also emailed Corey (who is a girl by the way) and she went to work screen shotting and researching. The guy has stolen from 30+ photogs I think and it just keeps getting worse. Gary was a bit late to the party but offered some advice. I would think posting the screen shots and crediting everything would fall under fair use. The theif already threatened Corey with a lawsuit. We'll see what happens.

on a funny note. There is already a parody facebook page up because of this whole fiasco. It was kinda funny
https://www.facebook.com/pages/258-CONtography/486659728011933

MLeeK · Aug 23, 2012

I believe as long as it is to educate and not to profit in any way it's fair use-could be off. I do know Fong works closely with his own attorney, so I am pretty sure he's good on his legalities. Also note that Fong does not live in the US. I don't know what the laws are in Canada, but that's where his residence is.

CCericola · Aug 23, 2012

He does have a house in Canada but he's American. I think the case he won against the chick who stole his studio name was a US case, I think. Anyway, he does do his homework. I wonder if it will be worth all of those photographers to join in a lawsuit like Gary suggested. But intruth I think the only thing of value this guy has is his 5DMIII.

Majeed Badizadegan · Aug 23, 2012

MLeeK said:
Anyone seen Gary Fong's latest theft discovery?
24/7 PROtography / Benjamin Ramalho Photography - Photo Stealers
If You’ve Had Images Stolen Off The Internet, You Can Get Up To $150,000 Per Image Stolen |

It's not a quick short read, but definitely interesting! So, take your coffee.
The guy is an arrogant ass first and foremost. Stupid as a post at best and his friends? WOW. Balls of titanium. He's looking at MILLIONS in lawsuits. 37 Photographers and multiple images from most of them.

This was a great way to wake up this morning, thanks for the link. This guy must be one of the biggest moron's on the internet.

Read his about me section from his website, and that's all you need to know about the catastrophic level's of douchiness:
ABOUT

I hope he gets sued and pays out the a$$ for his idiotically blatant copyright infringement of multiple artists.